Just wanted to tell you I spent approximately $180 on fuel in about 8 days to make loving and happy memories with a little 5 year old who refused to go home until she could go to the ocean a few times. Got some good pictures, too

Good for you, Vivian. We went to Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland last week. My youngest daughter's in laws have had a place there for about 45 years, well, in the family anyhow. The twins are really perking up, gaining weight and getting cuter all the time. Alex, the 2 year old, is a total hoot, absolutely full of himself. But, I didn't even bother to keep track of the fuel cost.

They will only be those ages once, so we gotta enjoy every minute we can. She likes to look for agates and shells in the small rocks that wash ashore and she got to see the sea lions and walked at least a half mile along a dock looking for starfish attached to the rocks. Saw quite a few although the brown ones were hard to spot. She likes the orange and purple ones better.

She also just giggles each time we go through the tunnel. I think she finally understands it is through the mountain, not just the trees.